“I was confused,” Mr. Iyer said. “But ultimately I decided that going to Iran was never going to be easy, and war would make it more difficult. And I was looking forward to this trip for 30 years. I had to jump in and be prepared to cover the $8,000 myself if needed.”
How can the rest of us apply this idea to our own travel dilemmas, which often involve not being able to afford to attend a friend’s bachelorette party or an auntie’s 50th birthday?
Lauren BowlingA financial expert said that setting specific financial goals can help you assess whether a trip fits into your overall financial picture. “If there’s an immediate goal you’re working towards, I think that helps with decision making,” he said, citing as an example plans to buy a home in the first quarter of next year.
She also suggests asking yourself whether staying home will really help you move toward achieving your goals. If there’s nothing specific you’re making the travel deal for, Ms Bowling said, you might regret pulling out. However, if you decide not to go, she suggests sending a small gift, such as flowers, that will cost much less than the entire trip.
However, for Mr Iyer, saying yes to a trip to a place you’ve never been to, even if it means taking a financial risk, is worth more than going into credit card debt for a new sofa.
He said, “In my case, a visit is more likely to change me than any material acquired at home.” “And so it is a risk worth taking, because the beauty of a journey is that I never know who will come back from it. And the hope is that I will be a completely different person than the person who left home.
